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U.S. President-elect Donald Trump issued another warning to the European Union on December 20, threatening a trade war. He urged the EU to purchase more American oil and gas, or else face a wave of tariffs, according to Politico.

Politico: Trump urged the EU to purchase more energy resources from the United States.

On December 21, drones flew into residential buildings in Kazan. Fires broke out in the Soviet, Kirov, and Volga districts of the capital of Tatarstan, as reported by the city administration.

Drones have crashed into residential buildings in Kazan.

The police in Almaty conducted an investigation following the release of a video in early December showing men praying on the roadway. The incident took place outside the city's Central Mosque, where the individuals blocked traffic.

Almaty police announced that men who blocked the road during prayer have been held accountable.

Explosions caused by fireworks occurred in several cities across Russia in crowded areas. Two individuals have been detained, and police reported that the suspects were acting under the direction of phone scammers.

In several cities across Russia, fireworks exploded in public areas.

Russian authorities in Kerch, located in the annexed Crimea, have declared a state of emergency following the discovery of fuel oil on the beaches, originating from tankers that sank between the Black and Azov Seas. More than one hundred people and two vessels have been mobilized for the shoreline cleanup, as reported by the news agency RIA Novosti.

Bunker oil on the Black Sea beaches: a state of emergency has been declared in Kerch.

A tragic incident occurred at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, located in northeastern Germany, where a car struck a crowd, resulting in the deaths of five individuals, including a child, according to the German publication Der Spiegel, citing law enforcement sources. Earlier, Bild reported four fatalities and 41 injuries, referencing police statements. The report further indicated that 86 people sustained serious injuries, while 78 others had minor injuries. Thus, Bild claims that a total of 205 individuals were affected by the vehicle collision. On the evening of December 21, a man drove his car into a crowd at the Christmas market in Magdeburg. The driver was promptly arrested. German media identified him as a 50-year-old doctor, originally from Saudi Arabia, who first arrived in Germany in 2006. He received refugee status in 2016 and worked as a psychiatrist and psychotherapist at a hospital in Bernburg. The man had posted on social media that "Germany hunts Saudi asylum seekers to ruin their lives" and that it "wants to Islamize Europe." He identified himself as an opponent of Islam. In a 2019 interview with Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, he stated that "there is no good Islam." He also expressed support for the right-wing populist party Alternative for Germany on social media. According to broadcasters WDR and NDR, he assisted asylum seekers within the Saudi expatriate community. Bild reported that an initial police saliva test on the detained driver revealed the presence of narcotics, although the specific substances were not disclosed. The motives behind the driver's actions remain unclear, with a police spokesperson stating that "all possibilities are being considered." German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed his condolences, stating, "My thoughts are with the victims and their families," as he visited the scene in Magdeburg. The President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, remarked that the joyful anticipation of a peaceful Christmas celebration had been brutally shattered. The Prime Minister of Saxony-Anhalt, Reiner Haseloff, called the incident a disaster for Magdeburg, the federal state, and Germany as a whole. Condolences have been extended by the governments of the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and EU leadership. The Saudi Arabian government condemned the attack on civilians in Germany and expressed solidarity with the German people and the families of the victims.

The number of victims from vehicle attacks on people in Germany has risen to five.

The Head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, announced the reunification of 2,716 divorced couples in the region. He reported this to Russian President Vladimir Putin during a State Council meeting focused on family support, as noted by the project Caucasus.Reality.

Kadyrov informed Putin that 2,716 divorced couples have been reunited in Chechnya.

On the morning of December 20, Russian forces launched a missile strike on Kyiv, resulting in casualties, reported the city's mayor, Vitali Klitschko.

Russia has launched a missile strike on Kyiv, resulting in casualties.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev withdrew at the last minute from signing an agreement on cooperation in the field of security between Bulgaria and Ukraine. This information was reported by the Bulgarian edition of Azattyq.

The Prime Minister of Bulgaria chose not to sign the agreement with Ukraine.

The authorities of Uzbekistan have issued an international wanted notice for two Russian citizens, Bislan Rasaev and Shamil Temirkhanov. They are suspected of being involved in an assassination attempt on Komil Allamzhanov, the former deputy head of the Presidential Administration of Uzbekistan. This was reported by the North Caucasus branch of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

Tashkent has put two Russians on the wanted list in connection with an attempted assassination of the deputy head of the presidential administration.

In Uzbekistan, a resident of the city of Andijan, Z.M., who worked as a cook at a diet food café, has been sentenced to 10 years and 6 months in prison for transferring funds to terrorist organizations in Syria.

A resident of Andijan was sentenced to 10 years in prison for being found guilty of sending money transfers to terrorists in Syria.

The Council of Ulema of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims (SAM) in Russia has issued a fatwa addressing "The Issues of Polygamy in the Muslim Community of Russia." The theological text has not yet been published on the SAM website. According to TASS and RIA Novosti, which reference the available document, Muslim men are permitted to enter into multiple religious marriages (nikah).

In Russia, Muslim men are now permitted to practice religious polygamy.

On December 19, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to prevent a government shutdown at midnight, despite the demand from incoming President Donald Trump to approve an increase in the national debt limit.

The U.S. House of Representatives has approved a measure to prevent a government shutdown.

The mining company "Kazakhmys" has announced that it has reached a "mutually acceptable agreement" with the striking miners at the South Zhezkazgan mine. According to the employer, the workers who had been on strike in the Ulytau region have agreed to receive an additional 30% bonus on their 13th salary, as well as the introduction of quarterly bonuses and salary adjustments in line with the inflation rate, which is set at 8.5% starting January 1 of the following year.

Kazakhmys announces a compromise has been reached with the striking miners.

As a result of a car plowing into a crowd in Magdeburg, located in northeastern Germany, two individuals lost their lives, and an additional 68 sustained injuries.

In Germany, a car crashed into people at a market, resulting in fatalities.

Nurlan Baibazarov has been relieved of his duties as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy of Kazakhstan, according to the presidential administration. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed the relevant decree on December 21.

Baibazarova has been relieved of her duties as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy of Kazakhstan.

The elected President of the United States, Donald Trump, threatened the European Union with a trade war once again on December 20, urging it to purchase more American oil and gas or face a barrage of tariffs, according to Politico.

Politico: Trump urged the EU to purchase more energy resources from the United States.

Serik Zhumangarin, the Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, has been appointed as the Minister of National Economy. He will continue to hold his position as Deputy Prime Minister, a role he has occupied since 2022.

Jumangarin has been appointed as the Minister of National Economy. He is known for his memorable phrase, "Don't annoy me!"

The police have drawn up an administrative report against Taldykorgan musician Karim Asylbekov for "petty hooliganism" following his performance of a rap song dedicated to the events in Talgar, where 16-year-old Sherzat Polat was killed. The rapper shared this information on his Instagram page.

Murder of Sherzat Polat: Police charged the rapper with petty hooliganism for a song dedicated to the Talgar events.

During a meeting with factory teams in Kostanay (in northern Kazakhstan), Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov addressed one of the most discussed topics recently—the transition to a unified time zone. The Prime Minister stated that "the decision was made based on extensive scientific research conducted not only in Kazakhstan but also abroad." This information was reported by the Prime Minister's press service.

Kazakhstan's Prime Minister on the unified time zone: The decision was made based on "extensive scientific research conducted abroad."

A court in Aktobe has sentenced Belarusian citizen Sergey Solovyov to five years in prison related to a traffic accident on the Samara-Shymkent highway that resulted in the deaths of eight people. The court also revoked the defendant's right to operate vehicles for a period of seven years. Additionally, he is required to pay seven million tenge to each of the four families who lost loved ones in the incident, and 20 million tenge to one family that buried three of its members.

A Belarusian citizen accused of a fatal car accident was sentenced to five years in prison in Aktobe.

The grandson of Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmon purchased a luxury apartment in Dubai when he was just nine years old. This information comes from OCCRP, which cites leaked documents detailing the ownership of property by hundreds of thousands of individuals in Dubai.

OCCRP: The grandson of Tajikistan's president purchased a luxury apartment in Dubai at just 9 years old.

An analysis of the causes of road traffic accidents on intercity routes in Kazakhstan revealed that the number of accidents has increased specifically in areas that have not been repaired for a long time or are currently undergoing repairs. This was stated by Darhan Imanashev, the chairman of the board of the national company "KazAvtoZhol," in response to a question from Azattyq during a briefing at the Central Communications Service.

The number of road accidents in Kazakhstan has risen on highways where repairs are incomplete or have not yet started.

The mayor of Almaty, Erbolat Dosaev, in response to a question from Azattyq regarding the fate of the lands that previously belonged to the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, confirmed that these plots have not yet been returned to the state, as they are awaiting the conclusion of legal proceedings.

Dosaev on the return of land from KazNU to the state: "We've won in two instances and are now awaiting the appeal."

A Moscow court has placed Uzbeck national Akhmadjon Kurbonov under arrest for two months. He is suspected of murdering General Igor Kirillov, the head of the Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Defense Forces of the Russian Armed Forces. This information was reported by Mediazona.

A native of Uzbekistan, suspected of murdering a Russian general, has been placed under arrest.

A man who set fire to the akimat of the Mangistau region on December 5 has died in the hospital. The acting chief doctor of the regional hospital, Ruslan Bekibaev, informed the publication Orda about the patient's death.

In Aktau, a man who set himself on fire near the akimat has died.

The sentenced Kazakh journalist Duman Mukhammedkarim has been transferred from the detention center in Taldykorgan to Kyzylorda, as reported by his lawyer Galym Nurpeisov to Azattyq.

The lawyer of journalist Duman Mukhammedkarim announced that his client has been transferred to Kyzylorda.

Following the recent summit of European Union leaders in Brussels, the European Council issued a statement regarding the situation in Ukraine on December 19.

The European Council's final summit document states: "Russia must not prevail."